Nazca line drawings
Nazca lines were first discovered by commercial airlines flown across the Peruvian desert during the 1920s. The passengers on board had reported seeing various primitive landing strips that formed several drawings.
These drawings on the ground are also known as geoglyphs. Located specifically in the Nazca Desert, the drawings include a hummingbird, monkey, spider and lizard and these are only a few of the 300 over drawings that were spotted. It was reportedly created between 200 BC and 600 AD during the Nazca culture.
The creation of the lines is achievable by removal of iron-oxide coated pebbles which covers the surface of the desert. Upon taking away the gravel, a contrast
with the light color underneath is created and thus becomes furrows of a lighter color which produces the lines. Archaeologists working around the Pampa, south
of the Nazca lines, have also uncovered the lost city of the line-builders built nearly 2000 years ago, known as Cahuachi.
Sparked by Toribio Mejia Xespe, a Peruvian doctor and anthropologist; he was the first scientist to show interest in what he would termed as grean Incan
ceremonial artifacts. Subsequently, Swiss writer Erich von Danike went on to suggest another theory in his 1968 book, Chariots of the Gods. To him, these
lines were the creation of ancient astronauts who used them as a landing field. However, experiments have shown that the soft clay soil and layers of black and brown rocks would definitely be an unsuitable place for landing. Others have also wondered if the drawing of a spaceman were inspired by other life.
Speculations also loomed around Jim Woodmanns theory that the Nazcan lines presupposed some sort of manned flight for viewing and at that point in time, only the
hot air balloon would be the available flight method.
He tested out his hypothesis and the balloon did fly and demonstrated that his hypothesis was possible.
However, there was no solid evidence to push the argument.
Joe Nickell went on to reproduce one of the figures he believed were available to the Nazca Indians of the time, even without aerial supervision.
There were also reported spiritual purposes for the drawings and residents of local villages said that ancient Indians used the giant drawings to conduct rituals to thank the gods to ensure water would continually flow from the Andes.
